Umno supreme council member Nazri Abdul Aziz hopes suspended party deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin will resign from the party as well and join the rebels who have left the Malay party.

The most important thing that all members in Umno should possess, Nazri said, is loyalty to the president, which has saved the party time and again. And this is something he has stated that Muhyiddin does not have.

Nazri was the one who tabled the motion to suspend Muhyiddin at the Umno supreme council meeting last Friday, though he said that the majority of the members actually wanted him expelled , instead of just being suspended.

He believes Umno will survive any exodus of rebels like Muhyiddin, pointing to previous crises such as the expulsion of former Selangor menteri besar Harun Idris by Hussein Onn, and the disputes between former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Gua Musang MP Tengku Razalieh Hamzah, as well as with Mahathir’s fomer deputies Musa Hitam and Anwar Ibrahim.

"I am very certain that Umno will be okay. We will not allow an individual to influence and destroy the Umno leadership, as is being attempted by Muhyiddin, former minister Shafie Apdal, former Kedah MB Mukhriz Mahathir and Mahathir ( photo ).

"I hope that they will all leave the party," Nazri told Malaysiakini yesterday

Earlier yesterday, Mahathir announced his resignation from Umno, for the seocnd time since 2008, and expressed hope that Muhyididn too would join him in leaving the party.

Political analysts expect Mukhriz, who is Mahathir’s son, to leave Umno as well.

Asked about the recent invitation from Parti Amanah Negara to Muhyiddin to join them, Nazri, who is tourism and culture minister, said he was looking forward to this taking place.

"That is good since Amanah invited, he should go. That will be best for Muhyiddin," he said snidely.

Prior to this, Amanah has invited Muhyiddin to join the party soon after the former deputy prime minister began to be sidelined from Umno for speaking out against Najib.